Sociological Theories Flashcards
what was the most popular and oldest theory
structural functionalism
what is structural functionalism
studies how society is organized to maintain its stability
who was the most important person related to Structural functionalism
emile durkheim
do structural functionalists look at things with the glass half full or half empty
half full
_________ is the father of structural functionalism
emile durkheim
what was emile durkheim most known for
his suicide studies
what are the 4 reasons as to why suicide rates are the same every year
- men are more likely to die by suicide
- single people or more likely to die by suicide
- people at peace are more likely to die by suicide than at war
- protestants more likely than Catholics
what is a commonality among the 4 reasons for suicide rate stability
lack of social cohesion
lack of collective moral regulation
what is an anomie
it is the social instability that arises from a breakdown of values and rules
true or false - Karl Marx is the father of capitalism
false - he believes capitalism is alienating
what was the point of the book, THE JUNGLE
there is a meatpacking plant that every man in the city lines up out of to get a job for that day -> however the supervisor only takes 50 of those workers aka the healthiest ones -> the rest are not able to feed their families -> no matter how hard you work, does not mean you get to reap the benefits -> bad capitalism
what is the importance of the bourgeoise and proliteriats
bourgeoise -> the supervisors/ factories
proliteriats -> male workers
what did Karl Marx want to focus on
neoliberalism -> emphasize employment insurance, workers compensation and social welfare
true or false - Karl Marx believed in more government regulation
true
michel Foucault is associated with what theory
contemporary critical sociology
what was the importance of the Panopticon at the women’s institution
find ways to get people to do things without forcing them to do it -> give them tight choices
what are the two terms that are significant to note with Michel Foucault’t theory
surveillance - direct/indirect observation of actions towards producing a desired outcome
self surveillance - monitoring our own behaviors and internalizing that to prevent deviance
What is the most common reason for marijuana usage?
Fantasy and escape from psychological problems
Why is marijuana interesting case for deviance theories?
Illustrates deviant motives that develop in course of experience with deviant behaviour
Why did NYC Mayor Commitee on Marijuana say it’s not addictive?
If addicted then they would be frustrated if they didn’t have access to the drug right away
- investigator says they fine when they couldn’t get weed
Why does Becker conclude that psych theories are inadequate to explain marijuana use?
- Predisposed trait believed to cause behavior but in everyday study many people do not adhere to susceptible prompter
- Too much variability in behavior and rxn to drug after usage
What is the “marijuana technique”?
Suck, draw it in and hold it in lungs
What is required to “be high”?
Presence of physical symptoms and connection of using drug and feeling effects (conscious about what they are feeling in order to get high)
What are the “symptoms of being high”?
Believe the drug will promote certain type of affect and connect that with actual symptoms they feel
How does the re-definition of marijuana effect as “enjoyable” happen?
Occurs when you are in an interaction with more experienced users who teach novice to find pleasure in the experience
What techniques participant use to help newcomers enjoy experience?
- Reassurance they will be fine while expriencing negative sensation/minimize seriousness
- Regulate amount smoked to avoid negative sensations
- Teach that they can get to like it after a while
Does Becker believe moral considerations will impact marijuana’s user’s continued use of drug?
- Morality and expediency and occasionally society can interfere and inhibit them but can still continue
- impossible to continue when the ability to enjoy being high is gone through changes in conception of drugs otherwise can enjoy weed without morality interfering
describe the welfare state and provide the years
1940-1970
-> period of employment where every man had to have a job however, there was major imbalance
how is Dorothy Smith significant
she helped us understand the women’s relationships and how they are in society
- absence of voice and experience
Dorothy Smith came up with an important understanding - what is this concept
lived experience -> what it is to live in society as a mother, or a person with a disability or a minority, etc…
Kimberle Crenshaw is important for what
came up with the foundation of intersectionality
- standpoint theory - intersectionality
intersectionality
theoretical approach that examines interlocking nature of social identity that creates more complex, interdependent systems of oppression and marginalization
describe the De Graffenried vs GM case
companies had to hire multiple people that were diverse -> when the economy started to drift, they had to lay people off -> first people to be laid off was the minorities or women -> GM claim involved separating the two axes into gender and race rather than what it actually was which was gender and race combined
North America is a ____cracy
meritocracy
what is a meritocracy
promises that if you work hard, you will make it
which country is known to have the best social mobility
Canada
who brought up the idea of Symbolic interactionism
Max Weber
conflict theory
views society as an arena of continual struggle between groups competing for resources and power
- privileged access to resources and power
- Marx
